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The plank is one of the most versatile exercises there. It has many benefits, the main one being the fact toning abdominal muscles, arms and back, all at the same time.
And the best is that you only take just a few minutes a day to get you tone up all these muscle groups. The following is a routine of just five minutes with plank variations, which can be done at home or outdoors.
Another advantage of the plank is that it requires no special equipment. The body weight and the force of gravity act as “equipment” Fitness accessible to all.
Five minutes using routine surf plank or surf board
- Basic plank: For a minute, do not get basic position of the plank, with feet at the same distance from the shoulders, arms straight, parallel and body straight. Do not forget to fit right hip, so do not get too low or too high.
- Plank with support: For 30 seconds, rests on the forearms, keeping the position of the plank.
- Plank with one leg raised: For a minute, hold up the plank position with support on the forearms, and make the most difficult move up one leg and keeping it there for 30 seconds. Repeat with the other leg.
- Side plank: Still leaning on the forearm, rotate the body and stay in the side plank position, with one arm raised and supported in the head. After 30 seconds, turn the body and repeat to the other side, remaining for another 30 seconds.
Finally, repeat another 30 seconds on the basic plank/board and another minute on the plank supported by the forearms.
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Benefits of practicing the plank every day
- Sit-ups: the plank is a great exercise to tone the abdominal muscles. The region of the “core”, i.e. the center of the body, is vital to good shape and support the spine and internal organs. They do not have the support of the bones; therefore, you need to be exercised constantly to stay strong enough. By strengthening your abdomen, you will be improving your posture and avoiding problems such as back pain and abdominal fat, the so-called “love handles”.
- Strengthens the arms : The plank has a variation called “sailor” or arm bending. Here, you need to lower and raise whole body, maintain the arms parallel. The body weight is used to strengthen the muscles of the arms, belly, chest and back.
- Improves flexibility and stimulates blood circulation : By practicing the board, you accelerate the heartbeat, because as a matter of fact more amount of blood along with energy is required by the contraction of muscles while movement . Blood circulation flows more easily, oxygenating the body and detoxify the body of accumulated toxins. In addition, the board also increases flexibility, lubricating joints.
- Improves focus and mental clarity : To support the necessary time in each variation of the plank, you need to develop the will power, focus and concentration, as in any other strenuous physical exercise.
- Fat burning : Like any exercise that constricts the muscles, the plank consumes more calories and also helps burn fat located mainly in the arms, back and stomach. It also speeds up the metabolism, causing the body to continue burning fat even after several hours after you have stopped exercising.
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Some experts say that ten minutes in the plank position every day amounts to thousands of sit-ups, then it is worth devoting more time to practice the exercises. You can try only the most simple and gradually increasing the degree of difficulty over time. Try it!
My name is Tushar, I am a fitness expert and product review enthusiast for over a decade who provides best and unbiased reviews for products available in the market on this website after doing hours of research on various topics and products including health and fitness. To read more about Tushar and this website mission head over to our About us page.
